The Eight Eccentrics in Yangzhou (Wang, Huang Shen, Jin Nong, Gao Xiang, Li Yi, Li,) are different from the social customs at that time in terms of political attitude, lifestyle, painting and calligraphy creation, etc. Their personalities are distinct, their works are original, and their calligraphy and painting have formed the "Yangzhou Painting School" and "Yangzhou Eight Eccentrics".
Zheng Banqiao experienced three emperors in his life. On the road of imperial examination, it went through three stages: Kangxi was a scholar; Yongzheng juren; Gan Long was a Jinshi at the age of forty-three, that is, in the first year of Qianlong, AD 1736, he took the Jinshi exam. Qianlong sixteen years, AD 175 1 year, fifty years old, served as the magistrate of Fan County, and later transferred to Wei County. Later, he resigned because he touched his boss's disaster relief, lived in Yangzhou and made a living by selling paintings.
"It's hard to be confused" is Zheng Banqiao's famous saying. Banqiao's "rare confusion" has a little-known allusion. According to legend, in the 16th year of Qing Dynasty (175 1), Zheng Banqiao served as county magistrate in wei county (now Weifang) for many years, when wei county was under the jurisdiction of Laizhou. He has long heard that there is a "Zheng Wengong Monument" on Wenfeng Mountain on the outskirts of Laizhou, which is of great significance in the history of calligraphy development in China. However, due to his busy business, he has never had time to read it. On September 19, Zheng Banqiao went to Laizhou for business. It's still early After being instructed, he climbed the mountain and found the monument. If he gets the treasure, he will concentrate on appreciation and research until night falls, and the handwriting on the tablet can no longer be seen clearly, so he has to give up. When he woke up and looked around in the dark, he felt embarrassed. The road down the mountain is unfamiliar, so he can't get down. But how can we spend the night in this barren mountain? After thinking for a long time, I suddenly found a light on the mountain. So he walked in the dark towards the light. When he arrived, he saw a house. He shouted to open the door, which was answered by an old man. He announced his name and purpose. It seems that the host has heard about him for a long time and warmly welcomed him. After dinner, the two chatted. From state affairs to civil affairs, it is very speculative. Finally, the master suggested that he should have an inkstone, but there was no inkstone name, so he asked Zheng Banqiao to stay in Mo Bao. He readily agreed. The host took out a rectangular giant inkstone and prepared pens, ink and paper. Zheng Banqiao thought about the content of the inkstone and said to his master, "Look, I just want to talk to you. I don't know your name yet." The shopkeeper said, "where is your name?" I'm just a confused old man. " Zheng Ban then wrote the four characters "It's hard to be confused". The master was very moved when he read it, so he told his life story. It turns out that he worked as an official in Qianlong dynasty for several years. Later, because he was dissatisfied with corruption such as power struggle and intrigue, he was unable to return to heaven, so he resigned and lived in seclusion in the mountains. After listening, Zheng Banqiao felt that his intention had not been completed. Seeing that there was still a blank under the four words, he wrote: "It is difficult to be smart, but it is difficult to be confused. It's even harder to change from smart to confused. Let go, take a step back, and feel at ease now, not to get a return later. "
The word "seldom confused" is an angry word, that is to say, a sober person can never get used to the secular darkness at that time, and only by confusing himself can he avoid doing nothing. But honest people are always confused, so it is more difficult to be confused.
Zheng Banqiao wants to be confused and confused, because he is a very clever man and sees everything clearly. He can't be confused.
It's hard to pretend not to be confused. Especially when you are confused and awake, this place is not easy to grasp. So Banqiao lamented "it's hard to be confused"! The word "seldom confused" contains many regrets, sighs, heaviness, sadness, dissatisfaction and complaints.
So "muddleheaded" wisdom actually contains a kind of sophistication, or coping skills. When people are in a dangerous situation and can't do anything about it, the wisdom of "confusion" can play a role in coping with the current situation and getting rid of the predicament. It can also contain many sadness and heaviness.
Zheng Banqiao's "Rare Puzzlement" provides people with a philosophical and wise enlightenment. In fact, "rare confusion" is the wisdom mechanically made by philosophers in the face of the obsession of all sentient beings. Just like the chanting of Zen Buddhism, you need to experience it with your heart. Banqiao wants people to realize that on the road of life, don't be too sophisticated, too good at getting benefits, don't fight blindly, and don't always put down fame and fortune. A little "muddleheaded" can make people get a kind of peace, a kind of relaxation, a kind of generosity, a kind of leisure and a kind of freedom.
Zheng Banqiao's statement that "it is rare to be confused" has become a treasure, so many scholars, dignitaries and big businessmen respectfully put the book "It is rare to be confused" as a banner and hung it in the hall as a motto and epigram.
Honesty and honesty for the people is the criterion for Zheng Banqiao to be an official. At the age of 50, he was appointed as the magistrate of Fan County, Shandong Province, and later transferred to the magistrate of Wei County (now Weifang City, Shandong Province) for seven years. During his tenure, he was clean and honest, cared about the sufferings of the people and did some good things for the local people. For example, in the year of famine, he investigated people's feelings day and night. In order to save people, he had no time to declare to his superiors and decisively opened the granary to help the victims. For another example, he once paid taxes for the poor with his own salary. To this end, he wrote many poems, such as "Escape from Famine", "Return to Home" and "Orphan", all of which are excellent works of worrying about the country and the people.
Zheng Banqiao is very cautious in being an official, fearing that he will do something wrong without knowing the people's feelings. He served as an official, devoted himself to serving the country, was virtuous to the people, cared for the people and sympathized with them. These thoughts are fully revealed in his poem "Painting Bamboo in Wei County Department".
"My official Zhai is lying listening to the rustling bamboo, which is suspected to be the voice of the people's sufferings. Some small officials in Caozhou County always care about their feelings. "
He lives in the county government, and he can't sleep at night. He hears the rustling of bamboo in the wind, which reminds him of the sufferings of the people. He also said with deep feelings that although he is only a small magistrate with seven items of sesame seeds, he is unable to solve the problems of the people, but the sufferings of the people are heavily attached to his heart.
When Zheng Banqiao was the magistrate of Wei County, he made great efforts to build cities and cut ponds to attract the hungry to eat and go to work in order to help the victims survive the famine. In order to seal the local Haokun granary, large families in the city opened factories to cook porridge in turn, saving countless victims. These achievements are described in detail in Zheng Banqiao's masterpiece Xiu Ji Cheng.
The inscription in the Book of Repairing the City can be divided into four parts. The first part: "If there is spring in heaven and earth, there will be autumn. If there is state governance, there will be chaos." Banqiao analyzed the laws of natural and social development from a dialectical point of view. The second part: "Wei county waterfront, named Yinfu. Once something happens, those who want to gobble up will be in Wei. " This paper discusses the fair evaluation of Wei County and the significance of repairing the city. The third part: "The county initiated it first. The first city builder is sixty feet, and the total amount of money is three hundred and sixty thousand. " Banqiao set an example and took the lead in donating money to repair the city. The fourth part: "The rest of the paragraphs, each doing their own work, the county does nothing." Banqiao used the method of "contract responsibility system" to repair the city by stages, but he kept it clean and spotless. The story of repairing the city only takes more than 200 words, which comprehensively expounds the purpose and significance of repairing the city. The story of repairing the city is still admired by people today.
Resignation and seclusion is the ultimate destination of Zheng Banqiao. When Zheng Banqiao was the magistrate of a county, he filed a lawsuit for the people, helped the victims, truthfully reported the disaster situation, reduced all taxes for farmers, and opened the national treasury to distribute food for disaster relief. However, because other local officials concealed the disaster in order to take credit, Zheng Banqiao was an honest official and refused to get sick. In the end, because of his disaster relief, he was accused by the "big official" and opposed by the big family. He also deeply felt that he was "powerless" and had to "let go and take a step back". So, in the eighteenth year of Qianlong (1753), he angrily resigned from the county magistrate and returned to his hometown of Yangzhou at the age of 6 1 year. When he went to be an official, the people of Wei County went out of the city with tears in their eyes, which deeply moved him. Banqiao bid farewell to wei county's father. He once painted a poem on a bamboo slip, saying, "If you throw the black veil away, it will get cold." Write a thin bamboo and use it as a fishing rod on the autumn wind river. "
As a local official, Banqiao was spotless when he left Fan County, and it was really commendable to say goodbye to Wei County. Therefore, many years after he left, people in wei county provided his portrait in their homes to express their admiration.
Zheng Banqiao returned to his hometown of Xinghua County, Jiangsu Province (now xinghua city). After a short stay, he went to Yangzhou to live and sell paintings for a living.
Zheng Banqiao is good at painting, especially bamboo. After painting a proud picture, he likes to write a poem, or write a few words to express his feelings and experiences, and often describes related things or causes some discussion. His poems on paintings are very distinctive. Paired with paintings, pearls complement each other perfectly. The language is fresh and simple, and the sentences are vivid and vivid; Philosophical epigrams are common in poetry, such as a perfect combination of pearls and jade. Or write orchids, bamboos, or chrysanthemums and stones, full of emotions and scenery, permeated with the painter's strong emotional consciousness, which is memorable to read.
Why is Zheng Banqiao willing to draw bamboo? This is because bamboo has many lovely things. It has a beautiful green appearance and can be watched; Its shoots can be eaten, branches can be used as utensils, and leaves can be used as medicinal materials, which has many practical values. In addition, it has many characteristics that can be used to compare personality: hollow branches, called "modesty"; This segment is straight and is called "strong segment"; Do not fade after frost, be proud of snow in the wind, and have cold-resistant ethics; No bad breath, no insects and ants, and good conduct; And so on. As a result, bamboo has become the symbol and sustenance of people's ideal moral character, known as "gentleman" and regarded as "good friend", so literati painting bamboo has become a trend.
Zheng Banqiao's bamboo paintings have a unique artistic style, which is different from the richness of humanities in Song Dynasty and Zhen Wu in Yuan Dynasty, but simple, neat, rough and vigorous. He used a simple pen to express his spirit and charm, as well as his own thoughts and personality. The simpler the pen and ink, the more accurate and refined it is, the more highly summarized and concentrated it is, and the more exaggerated and prominent it is. Receiving the artistic effect of "one to one" must be unique and desolate. Zheng Banqiao has made great efforts to pursue this realm. He wrote a poem entitled "Bamboo" and said, "For forty years, he painted bamboo branches and thought about it day and night. The deletion is thin, and the painting is born and familiar. " While creating, he thought, deleted countless branches that showed their appearance, protected those vigorous and beautiful leaves that could convey the charm, and constantly presented new ideas in his works, forming his own unique style. When he is often unfamiliar with novelty, that is the real maturity. This maturity reveals the artist's own artistic experience of "painting bamboo branches for forty years" and summarizes the law of artistic development.